Relay attachment and alarm for telephone systems.



No. 833,159. PATENTED OCT. 16, 1906. O. A. ENGLAND.

RELAY ATTACHMENT AND ALARM FOR TELEPHONE SYSTEMS.

" uruuumx mam nov. 13. 1905.

UNITED STATES PAT ENT OFFICE.

RELAY ATTACHMENT AND ALARM FOR TELEPHONE SYSTEMS- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 16,1906.

Application filed November 13, 1905. Serial No. 287,004.

To all whmn it nuty concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES A. ENGLAND, a citizen of the United States, residing in Van Meter, county of Dallas and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Relay Attachments and Alarms for Telephone Systems, of which the followmg is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a means adapted for use on party or farm line telephone systems, whereby an alarm given by a person at any station on the line will be transmitted to a vibrating bell in the central office exactly as given.

A further object is to provide such a means in a simple, strong, durable, and inexpensive manner.

A further object is to provide such a means adapted for use on a series of drops.

My invention consists of certain details of construction hereinafter set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure I shows a side elevation view of the tubular electromagnet of the drop used in a telephone system fitted out with my device. Fig. 11 shows a rear end elevation vieW of the drop having my attachment secured thereto. Fig. 111 shows a detail view in section of a portion of my device, and Fig. IV shows a plan view of the tubular electromagnet fitted out with my device.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the reference-numeral 10 is used to indicate the tubular soft-iron shell used in telephone systems, and the numeral 11 the rear or cap portion of the drop, and the numeral 12 the long steel rod of the drop which communicates with and engages the shutter. Near the rear portion and on the side of the shell 10 I have mounted two metal springs 13 and 14, said springs being L-shaped in conformation and extending downwardly an equal distance from their mounting, their outer extremities being designed to nearly come in contact one with the other. The bases of said springs are by construction flat and provided with orifices 15, through which screws 16 are designed to pass and engage screwthreaded opening 17 in the shell 10, thus obviously securing the springs to the shell. These springs are desi ned to be insulated from each other and from the shell 10 by hard-rubber pieces 18, 19, and 20, which are designed to assume positions respectively between the shell and the spring 13, between the springs 13 and 14, and on top of and covering the base portion of the spring 14. These hard-rubber pieces are necessarily provided with orifices through which the screws 16 may pass. The screws 16 are provided with hard rubber coverings 21 on their shafts, thus obviously insulating them from the sprin s 13 and 14.

The numerals 22 and 23 indicate the wires connecting with the alarm or relay, said wires being secured to the springs 13 and 14, respectively.

Secured to and extending downwardly from the rear or cap portion 11 of the drop is a lever 24, said lever having in its central portion a curve and the outer extremity of said lever resting against the lower extremity of the spring 13 and insulated from it by means of a hard-rubber tube 25, fitting over the end of said lever.

In practical operation the alarm being given by a person on the line it is transmitted to the electromagnet, which while the person is ringing attracts the base or cap portion 11 of the drop and holds it firmly to the magnet, the cap portion operating on the common hinge-joint by which it is customary to connect it to the shell 10. As the cap portion 11 of the drop moves toward the magnet it necessarily moves forward the lever 24, which in turn presses forward the spring 13, which comes in contact with the spring 14, thus obviously completing the circuit of the relay and ringing the alarm in the'office. When the person ceases ringing, the cap portion being no longer attracted moves back by its own weight to its former position, thus releasing the pressure of the lever 24 from the spring 13, which in turn moves back to its former position away from the spring 14, thus obviously breaking the circuit and causing the alarm to cease ringing.

My device is adapted principally to rural telephone party-lines, and by using my attachment on said systems it is obvious that different parties may call one another on their lines and the central office will have knowledge that they are not wanted unless their particular alarm is sounded. Myattachment is also adapted for use on a series of drops, the insulation as described affording the necessary insulation between the various drops.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. A relay attachment for telephone systems, comprising a shell, a cap hinged to the shell, a lever carried by the cap and projecting outwardly therefrom, a air of s aced L- shaped arms having their fiorizonta portions secured to the side of said shell and having their vertical portions disposed in the path of movement of said lever.

2. A relay attachment for tele hone systems, comprising a shell, a member hinged to one end of said shell, a pair of spaced arms supported from said shell and projecting downwardly therefrom, a member secured to said first-named member for engagement with the outermost of said arms.

3. A relay attachment for telephone systems, comprisin a shell, a cap hinged to one end of said shel a pair of spaced L-shaped arms having their horizontal portions insulated from one another and secured to the side of said shell, and having their vertical portions projectin beyond said end of the shell, an L-shape lever having its vertical arm secured to said cap and having its horizontal arm provided with insulation and.

-from said shell and each having a vertical portion, arranged one in advance of the other and normally out of engagement with one another, a member projecting from said cap and engaging the outermost of sald arms.

CHARLES A. ENGLAND. 

